Crossing the line: Corruption at the border

Ricardo Montalvo

Age: 28

Case date: 4-9-2012

Crime: Conspiracy to defraud the United States

Sentence:
51 months in prison/three years supervised release/$100 special assessment

Border Patrol Agent Ricardo Montalvo, 28, and his girlfriend, Carla Gonzales-Ortiz, 29, were arrested April 9, 2012, on 20 counts of conspiracy, firearms and smuggling charges, following an April 4, 2012, grand jury indictment. As part of the conspiracy, Montalvo, who became a Border Patrol agent in 2007, allegedly helped purchase military-type rifles, high-powered pistols and flare launchers – which can be converted into grenade launchers – as well as more than 20,000 rounds of ammunition, according to the indictment. He pleaded guilty in August 2012 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. All other charges were dismissed. He was sentenced in November 2012 to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.

The photographs of and information about U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees convicted or suspected of corruption-related charges were obtained by the Center for Investigative Reporting through multiple Freedom of Information Act requests and other sources. The data come primarily from Customs and Border Protection records and an internal agency website called "Trust Betrayed." The purpose of the government site is to illustrate to agency employees what happens to agents and officers caught abusing their positions. The Trust Betrayed website information is for 2005 through September 2011, with supplemental records dating to October 2004. CIR will continue to update this feature as new photographs and information become available.